


Broken

by Nerdpaw



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Fate & Destiny, Headcanon, Nonbinary Character, People have been guessing who the second sib is, Sad, and someone requested a fic with Brokey so, prepare for sad, really sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-11-15 02:29:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20858756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerdpaw/pseuds/Nerdpaw
Summary: The Heir to Hallownest's life





	1. Garden

They were hollow just like their elder sibling. Or almost like them.

Unlike their sibling, they had a voice, albeit nearly never used. They could feel and were permitted to do so. It even seemed encouraged at times. But they knew their sibling had to struggle along with the duty they were made for, while the younger of the two wondered what their purpose even was. Why were they hollowed out, yet left to feel?

Their thoughts buzzed a bit, like their mother’s voice. Maybe they aren’t meant to think so hard about that stuff. Maybe their job is simple; be the Heir of Hallownest. It was still quite a task they believed, no matter how royal and godly their birthright was. Their father seemed stressed frequently, quietly snapping and cutting through the air in small uncontrolled fits of a power surge, something mother said wasn’t uncommon for him even when he didn’t have problems, but far more frequent nowadays.

When father relaxed, he was so quiet and still, much like their older sibling. Perhaps his stoic presence was inherited by them. Though he spoke when he needed, he barely let his footfalls even ghost the halls that cause such loud echoes in their silence. Or maybe they just haven’t seen their father much as of late.

The younger child of Wyrm and Root let out a small hum. It seemed as though his father sought to avoid them. He seemed to enjoy their older sibling’s presence more, but of course, mother said no, that’s not the case, and that he was merely helping them train for their purpose. In all honesty, the younger one didn’t know their sibling’s destiny other than to serve. They only moved when told to, stiffly listening to instructions and whatever else their father had to say to them alone.

The younger came to the conclusion that perhaps their mother was the only one that cared for them, despite her disputes that their father loved them just as much as she did. They found themself in their mother’s garden frequently, helping tend to flowers and bathing in the clean, warm light that was different from white light in the palace. Their mother hung plants and flowers from their swirling, curving horns so that they would look like her when she was most joyous and in bloom. They would have the best of fun in that garden, but the joy and the flowers and leaves would ebb away far too quickly as they made their way home. They would ask why they needed to leave it all behind, and mother would say it was because their father found it hard to clean up after, which is why she had her own garden in the first place. They thought that it was silly and mean, but they kept that to themself.


	2. Cave

The little shadow of the queen walked along an unfamiliar path outside the palace on their own. They were older now, bigger, and they were training to wield a nail, so they feared just a bit less than they usually did when they left the palace. Their sibling was also bigger, far bigger and quickly growing. It made them a touch jealous, but they were assured that it was because they were so much older than them. They didn’t enjoy being so small in their family. How were they to rule Hallownest with how small they were?

They thwacked their nail sharply against the gravely and stony path they had been walking. They wanted to feel big and important like the rest of their family. They felt overshadowed. They felt wasted.

They let themself swing wildly at a statue, cracking the stone to pieces. Why was that even out this far? Statues like these usually marked graves… They gave a quiet apology to the dead they had disrespected. Their gaze then went back forward as they tried to settle themself. As they kept walking they felt a pull deep into even more unfamiliar caves, the alluring sound of humming bringing them further along.

They were startled by an alarming mass of creatures, dodging into hiding as they watched them and carefully passed them by. They appeared distressed for creatures with so little ability to show emotions, though they guessed they could easily catch onto it due to being around their older sibling so often. These beasts were certainly different from their sibling, however, and they dispersed further while growing more anxious. The heir took their chance to escape them, deeper into the tunnels, closer to the calling.

As they grew closer -- they had to assume they were closer, the sound was becoming louder -- they became keenly aware of their father’s likeness strewn about. Their run slowed to a creeping walk, their steps keenly echoing in the cave they found themself in. This place has been untouched for ages. They hopped down into a tunnel, listening to small bugs skitter away from them as they got close to the deafening humming, walking into a chamber.

That’s when they spotted them.

Father’s wings, discarded a time ago, as they had never seen him with them, though numerous depictions of him are scattered in the halls of the palace and within the cities and towns. They quietly approached them, before stopping at a sudden tinkling noise that sounded as they got closer.

Suddenly, the ground and ceiling shook, a loud rumbling drowning out the alluring hum of the wings. The heir quickly turned and left, running into the previous chamber before a sudden pain and crackling feeling raced through their head, and they fell forwards, unable to get back up as the rumbling ceased, leaving them with the humming. Soon, even that ended for them.


End file.
